Retail cosmetic lip products, such as lipstick and lip gloss, are relatively expensive and most are non-returnable if a purchaser becomes dissatisfied with the product once the product has left the store. There are many reasons why a purchaser may not be satisfied with any particular lip product. For example, the product may have broken or not have the desired color or texture, the product may cause lip dryness or other physiological problems, or the purchaser may dislike the flavor of the product. Since unsatisfactory lip products cannot be returned to the store, these products will probably go unused and will be of no value to the purchaser.
Some consumers may attempt to re-color an unsatisfactory lip product into something useable by applying one lip product on their lips over another lip product to attain a desired color or texture. Such a remedy is not always convenient or effective. Therefore, what is needed is a means to re-color unsatisfactory lip products into something useable.
Another problem with lipstick products is the waste involved. With a lipstick tube, which is the standard lipstick packaging scheme, about one-third of the lipstick product in the base of the tube is inaccessible and therefore unusable. Thus, what is also needed is a means for recovering the lipstick in the base of the tube so that it may be made usable.
Another problem with lipstick products is their sensitivity to heat or pressure. If a lipstick product is broken, a means for repairing the lipstick is necessary so that it may be made usable.
Another option for lipstick is to be reformulated into lip gloss. If a consumer has a supply of lipstick, but is only wearing lip gloss, they need a means for reformulating the lipstick to turn it into lip gloss so that it becomes usable.